The Suicide Squad: General Discussion and Speculation

[dhandler01]

Same here. It’s a lot of fun. Some things don’t work (Harley’s attack on that police station is bull****; she would have been shot dead within seconds) but the characters are great and it has an awesome sense of style. TSS is a better movie for sure but BOP is also a worthy film and better than most of the WB’s post-Nolan DC output.

I just took it as partially a fever dream. It makes sense to get but no one else.

 

[Arrow1987]

Are the two characters in the post credits scene going to betray waller now?

 

[Detective Conan]

Here’s Dan Murrell’s take on the box office of this film.

 

[Detective Conan]

 

[Pennywise]

Interesting!#TheSuicideSquad In the film's new concept art, we can see that Deathstroke was being considered to lead the Suicide Squad rather than Bloodsport.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Micromind]

 

[shauner111]

Liked it even less the second time. 12 year old humor, just like GotG but even more juvenile with the Sandler dick jokes. People make fun of it in Adam’s movies but when it’s in a cape flick it’s suddenly hilaaaarious! I’ve heard ALL these jokes before in bad movies. At 32, that 12 year old humour just isn’t my thing sorry.

I don’t buy a certain character being shocked at the end. Considering who he’s been working for, why is he so surprised? Did a teenager write this?

The needle drops are horrendous. Maybe worse than Ayer’s. Villains are so boring and lame. No better than Marvel’s. Besides some fun fights and a cute Ratcatcher...this is mediocre at best. And I’m being nice for the sake of a couple of cuties. This is Deadpool meets Guardians meets AVEngers. Nothing in common with 70’s b flicks.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[BrazilianBatman]

THE SUICIDE SQUAD: 8 Reasons The Movie BOMBED At The Box Office This Weekend

The Suicide Squad earned less than 10% of its budget domestically this weekend, and it's gone from being praised as one of DC's best films to getting touted as a flop. Here's where Warner Bros. went wrong!
THE SUICIDE SQUAD: 8 Reasons The Movie BOMBED At The Box Office This Weekend

 

[Invader Joker]

I'd say that as much as I hate her SS 2016 look, I think that it is true that her aesthetic in that film is probably what made her really popular amongst different audiences back then. Yes, the jester suit is a classic, but the outfit she wore on that movie was all over the place back then especially with teenage/young adult girls, if I recall correctly she was the most bought Halloween costume back then. BoP and this SS movie have failed to regain that Harley Quinn popularity and I do think part of it is losing that aesthetic as well as probably detaching her from Joker (Yes, their romance in that movie was awful, but a lot of that same general audience of teenage/young adult girls seemed to love it for whatever reason, you search on youtube and there are hundreds of video tributes of them together, some of them with millions and millions of views)

I'm not sure if it's because "sex sells", but I do think it's pretty undeniable that Harley, especially Margot Robbie's Harley was at her most popular in the Suicide Squad 2016 and has since failed to recapture that popularity.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Man, the 2016 movie is such an oddity. It was critically panned, and reviled by fans, yet it made bank and I guess some people liked the aesthetic because I remember how popular the Harley costume was (despite looking like crap, IMO). Did the GA really like it? Was it one of those cases where fans and critics were just out of step with what regular moviegoers like? I’m not sure but I don’t know anyone (hardcore fan or not) who liked it. I’m confident that NO ONE liked Leto’s Joker (until he was TOTALLY redeemed when Zack Snyder had him talk about reacharounds lol).

 

[kguillou]

Man, the 2016 movie is such an oddity. It was critically panned, and reviled by fans, yet it made bank and I guess some people liked the aesthetic because I remember how popular the Harley costume was (despite looking like crap, IMO). Did the GA really like it? Was it one of those cases where fans and critics were just out of step with what regular moviegoers like? I’m not sure but I don’t know anyone (hardcore fan or not) who liked it. I’m confident that NO ONE liked Leto’s Joker (until he was TOTALLY redeemed when Zack Snyder had him talk about reacharounds lol).

I saw an acquaintance of mine post their reaction to TSS on Facebook—a non comic book person— and she said she couldnt finish the movie and it “wasnt as good” as the original. I hate to say it man, but SS 2016 may have been more “fun” to moviegoers thus the bank it made.

Remember guys, that movie had steady legs at the BO.

 

[dhandler01]

To be fair the legs hit later on. It found an audience long after the headlines died down.

So I finally saw the film, and I am of two minds about it. (which is never ideal) I will give two different reviews, one for the moviergoer in me and one for the comic geek in me. (both without spoilers or tagged if I think it is iffy) For the sake of people not wanting to read it the score I give is a 7...maybe a 7.5 but I am not sure. It would not rank high on my DCEU films list...it would rank meh. Aquaman walked this line much better.

Average Moviegoer:

Yeah what the heck is this? This movie is all over the place and doesn't seem to have a sense of what it is. The humor is hit or miss and the film is entirely too long. The characters are cool but outside of a couple you never really get to learn much about them so you never really feel anything when things go sideways. This is like a gratuitous fever dream of death and ridiculousness that is kind of a low rent version of The Expendables. Much like that film once the "oh cool look at all these guys in the same film!!!" veneer wears off what is left is just a rather stupid film with some funny jokes and way too many characters and deaths. If I walked in and watched this apropos of nothing, I would probably never watch it again because the creativity is overshadowed by the stupidity. This feels as bland and weak as a Marvel Film (lets throw 35 jokes into every scene no matter how violent it is or out of place they are) to me only they went R-rated so it is more violent to try and offset the Di$ney-fied blandness. I would probably give it a 5.5/6 and would instantly forget it. Just not my cup of tea...

Comic Nerd:

Well this is about as faithful as you can get with the idea of Taskforce X in film form. I mean everything from the Bait and Switch to all of the double and triple crosses, the backup plans and just insanity fits with what I have read over the years in Suicide Squad comics. Ostrander must have been crying tears of joy because this feels like what he was always going for. Even when they are doing the right thing these people are just not really redeemable and in truth outside of Ratcatcher none of them even pretend otherwise. (especially Bloodsport and Peacemaker) Waller was the type of evil you want to see out of her, King Shark made me laugh and Harley was Harley. Not sure why people think she is so different than she was in BOP...she is almost exactly the same. (which is fine I like BOP) Starro was awesome to look at but, much like Marvel Villains, kind of just stupidly defeated. The ending made a lot of sense and overall I think it matches how comics kind of play out including having the story stretched out longer than it needs to be Geek meter gave it around an 8.

My question though is...why the heck do reviewers like it? After many of these same reviewers panned other DCEU films for "gratuitous violence" and "needless death" why were they all lining up to praise this film? Even the part of me that likes the film is baffled that it is reviewed so well based on history. Is James Gunn really that much of a reviewers wet dream? Is it because they told a bunch of kneeslappers as they shot and killed innocent people? (or others died in the aftermath) All of the critiques of MOS could literally be put on this film outside of the fact that they took joy in the destruction and death and Cavill never smiled and quipped like Bruce Willis. (yes I know they are villains, but come on that didnt stop critiques like that of the first film) If shot for shot, joke for joke, this film was made by a different director it would be at best in the 50s. (not saying that is the score it deserves just saying) I don't get it, and it kind of highlights why I absolutely hate how RT has destroyed honest critique when it comes to film. No one has a baseline anymore, they hold no standards they just throw crap out there to get headlines. Everything is so hyperbolized. This film does not deserve the praise it gets, but it also doesn't deserve to be destroyed either. It is an ok film that some will enjoy, some will hate but won't really move the needle much. I would bet the score reflects how much you like or dislike James Gunn as this film is all his for sure. I am always meh on him so this film encapsulates that.

Much like WW84 (and Dune later this year) it is definitely benefitting from not being in the theaters because even with great reviews there was never going to be legs. Now when WB lets him make another they can tout streaming numbers to pump it up. (if they are good) They need to reign him in though because a film like this will never survive a true summer blockbuster season. I dunno I would prefer less James Gunn after seeing this.

I will likely watch it again at home cause the GF wants to maybe watch. (she will hate it I would bet) I hope it is better upon rewatch but honestly if she doesn't want to watch I am not sure I will. I walked out of the theater and kind of went, ok that is done on to the next film. That usually means I am out.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Nice that Waller cared so much about him in the first movie that she gave him a deadly assassin to help him safe but in this movie she could care less about him and tosses him to the fish.

 

[KaijuDude1992]

SS 2016 was a mess, but still easier to digest for mainstream audiences than TSS. I know plenty of people that liked it even if it didn't seem that way online because we all knew the trailers made it look alot better than it actually was.

Summer 2016 was so uneventful outside of CW when it comes to heavily hyped blockbusters, especially superhero films and the marketing for it did a great job making it look appealing for everyone.

Will Smith, Batman and Joker all in the same movie was just something the marketing for this movie could never replicate no matter how good of a movie it ended up being.

This movie deserved so much better though.

 

[Detective Conan]

My question though is...why the heck do reviewers like it? After many of these same reviewers panned other DCEU films for "gratuitous violence" and "needless death" why were they all lining up to praise this film? Even the part of me that likes the film is baffled that it is reviewed so well based on history. Is James Gunn really that much of a reviewers wet dream? Is it because they told a bunch of kneeslappers as they shot and killed innocent people? (or others died in the aftermath) All of the critiques of MOS could literally be put on this film outside of the fact that they took joy in the destruction and death and Cavill never smiled and quipped like Bruce Willis. (yes I know they are villains, but come on that didnt stop critiques like that of the first film) If shot for shot, joke for joke, this film was made by a different director it would be at best in the 50s. (not saying that is the score it deserves just saying) I don't get it, and it kind of highlights why I absolutely hate how RT has destroyed honest critique when it comes to film. No one has a baseline anymore, they hold no standards they just throw crap out there to get headlines. Everything is so hyperbolized. This film does not deserve the praise it gets, but it also doesn't deserve to be destroyed either. It is an ok film that some will enjoy, some will hate but won't really move the needle much. I would bet the score reflects how much you like or dislike James Gunn as this film is all his for sure. I am always meh on him so this film encapsulates that.

Well…it helps that unlike MOS and other DCEU movies these character’s mostly are really bad guys, so I think most critics are giving the movie a pass in that regard. Superman is supposed to be the beacon of hope and optimism, so it’s much more jarring when innocent people die in his movie. With the SS, they’re explicitly established are ruthless, violent criminals.

 

[Micromind]

@dhandler01
I think the movie has unusually high score, not saying that it should be Rotten but I expected it to be in range of 65 to 70, the reason reviewers are happy about it could be due to the fact that this is how they want cbm to be, self aware, embracing the silliness, and entertaining the movie goers. Having said that, the execution matters, this is where Gunn excels.

But even without pandemic, and same day-date HBO Max release, this movie was never going to be as successful as Ayer's SS.

 

[dhandler01]

Well…it helps that unlike MOS and other DCEU movies these character’s mostly are really bad guys, so I think most critics are giving the movie a pass in that regard. Superman is supposed to be the beacon of hope and optimism, so it’s much more jarring when innocent people die in his movie. With the SS, they’re explicitly established are ruthless, violent criminals.

Except, this isn't Lex Luthor or Joker...these are D list villains no one knows they are ruthless. Hell I read comics and I don't know many of them.

Plus the 2016 film was ripped as well.

Sorry but this doesn't smell right. I'm glad people like the film but the critics only like it because Gunn made it. If a less liked director pulled the bait and switch Gunn did the backlash would have been huge. And don't even get me started on how the 3rd act would have been destroyed.

But whatever it didn't matter just further makes me hate critics. I care what we think way more

 

[dhandler01]

@dhandler01
I think the movie has unusually high score, not saying that it should be Rotten but I expected it to be in range of 65 to 70, the reason reviewers are happy about it could be due to the fact that this is how they want cbm to be, self aware, embracing the silliness, and entertaining the movie goers. Having said that, the execution matters, this is where Gunn excels.

But even without pandemic, and same day-date HBO Max release, this movie was never going to be as successful as Ayer's SS.

Not a chance it would make that kind of money. Probably closer to half or 60%.

And I find the "self aware" thing only works so much. Poking fun at your concept is a fine line and to me this went too far. I mean the amount of characters that die...it was almost like they did it just to back up the lame "suicide squad" joke I swear they told 5 times.

I think cutting about 20 minutes of the film would have made it better. The entire Corto Maltese President side story for one...

 

[CadeSkywalker28]

This movie really started when Elba appeared, before that it was boring. The whole beginning is waste of time.

 

[Kane52630]

 

[Weather Witch]

This movie did drag a little, but overall I really enjoyed it. A sequel seems unlikely given the box office performance, but if it does... I'm hoping it goes Suicide Squad -> The Suicide Squad -> The Actual Suicide Squad or something like that.

 

[CadeSkywalker28]

 

[psylockolussus]

This movie did drag a little, but overall I really enjoyed it. A sequel seems unlikely given the box office performance, but if it does... I'm hoping it goes Suicide Squad -> The Suicide Squad -> The Actual Suicide Squad or something like that.

It would probably be called Suicide Squads.